The sleeping form of the girl who’s causing all the trouble in six rests atop a threadbare mattress in the middle of the cell. Aside from her bed, the room is bare. It’s for her own safety. In the initial days of the transformation, the vampire is violent. Not only are they dangerous to others, but also to themselves.
“She’s been extra feisty today, sir,” Anderson calls from a darkened corner. “I’m not sure why she’s quiet now.”
The girl’s head lifts slowly, and a macabre grin spreads wide across her insipid face. “Visitor,” she croons, standing to her feet and skulking toward me. Her dainty fingers wrap around the bars, pulling her face tightly against the steel.
Strength is a power that even new bites possess, but it’s nowhere near what Borns have. She could very well bend the steel, but it won’t be enough to escape. Especially not with Anderson at the ready.
Her tongue darts out and swipes up the length of the bar. My brow rises in question as to what the heck she’s up to. At this stage, she’s out of her mind. It’s a common theme for the early stages, until we’re able to help new bites tap into their latent humanity.
“Rust,” she moans.
“You want blood,” I surmise, and she bobs her head in confirmation.
“I don’t think so. You’re not ready.” I pick at my fingers as though bored, which only seems to incite the girl.
She bangs her head repeatedly on the bars until blood begins to trickle down her forehead.
“Enough,” I shout, moving closer to the bars, just out of reach from her. “Now, let’s talk.”
She bares her teeth in defiance but doesn’t say a word. Good. Maybe we’ll get somewhere with this one today.
“Tell me about your parents. What were they like?”
She barks out a throaty laugh. “I killed them. Ate their insides.” She licks her lips, slurping all the while.
She didn’t. She hasn’t been anywhere near her home since she was turned. This is all part of the reconstruction. Similar to what you see in the apocalyptic zombie movies, new bites’ brains are switched, turning them abhorrent and murderous. But it can be reversed by helping them remember life before.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Your parents are out with a search party looking for you. You disappeared and they’re very worried. Your friends are worried too.”
She continues baring her teeth, not giving a shit about the parents she’s forgotten, and I’m running out of patience for the day. I’m tired and I need to get back home.
“I’ll be back soon, Anderson. If you need me, call,” I say, walking toward the exit.
“Where you headed?” he calls at my back.
“Home,” I respond, turning one last time to see the girl in cell six. “To Marina.”
She squints as if trying to determine why that name sounds familiar.
“Marina,” she says, testing the name out.
“Yes. Marina,” I repeat the name.
Her eyes widen and a glimmer of hope rises to the surface.
“Do you remember Marina?” I ask.
Her face contorts and her body jerks in slight convulsions. I wait, hopeful for the first time since I brought her here. She continues to twitch, not saying anything, so I press.
“Marina. Say her name.”
The trembling intensifies and froth seeps from the corners of her mouth. Her head falls back onto her shoulders and she screams out, rattling the bars with the intensity. She rushes the bars with her shoulder, trying and failing to knock them down to get to me, cursing me all the while. All hope drains from me. She’s not ready.
Anderson hands me a vial and I slip it between the bars, taking my chances that she won’t rip off my arm to get to it. She grabs the blood, twisting the top without preamble, and sucks the entire thing down within seconds, licking her lips of every drop.
“Better?” I ask, watching as the whites of her eyes turn a bright red, the blood seeping into her system. She doesn’t answer, but collapses onto the mattress.
I turn to leave, ready to get home. “I’ll be back soon, Shannon.”
Chapter Five
The days locked away in this cabin have been long and downright boring. Law holes himself up in his office all day, doing God knows what, while I read or nap. Today, I chose a nap. At some point during my peaceful slumber, I hear shouting and pop my eyes open.
I spring from the bed, running to the door, ear pressed against the wood. “Who’s out there?” I say to myself. It’s a habit I’ve picked up, due to loneliness. It’s been a thing for a while.
The voices are muffled, but it doesn’t take me long to make out the owners.
Julian.
I take off through the door, winding down the one small hall before coming to the open area. My head swivels back and forth while I try to locate where their raised voices are coming from.
Straight across from me is another hallway. I dash in that direction, and Julian’s deep timbre wafts out from under the closed door.
“You have to tell her, Julian. It’s not fair to spring it on her.” Law’s frustrated voice rises, which is so out of character for the laidback brother I’ve come to know.
“You think I don’t know this? It’s killing me, Lawrence. I don’t have a fucking choice.”
“We all have choices, brother. You just keep making the wrong ones.”
“Don’t tell me how to run my kingdom,” Julian roars. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”
I’ve never heard Julian sound so menacing, especially toward Law. They’ve always appeared to have a strong bond, but in this moment, I fear for the youngest Bellamy. My ear stays firmly against the wooden door, trying to get to the bottom of this conversation. What has Julian done that has Law up in arms?
“No. You didn’t.” Law’s voice is soft when he says it. It’s as though he sympathizes with Julian. “But it’s yours just the same. I’m only trying to help you see your errors. Nobody checked our father, and look where that got him.”
“Don’t bring him into this, Lawrence. I’m not him.”
“No, you’re not. So stop acting like him.”
Without thinking, I turn the knob and open the door, stepping inside, with the hopes I can prevent an all-out brawl.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, taking in the heated glares that both Bellamy brothers wear.
“Marina,” Julian says, jumping to his feet. “I was just coming for you.”
“Is everything all right?” I try again, my eyes searching back and forth between Julian and Law. Julian comes to me, placing his palm over my cheek. I lean into him.
“Everything’s fine,” he assures me. “We’re just discussing our next moves.”
I nod slowly, considering his words, but I know he’s hiding something. Law’s stony features point to that fact. My eyes pierce Law’s, silently urging him to speak up. Instead, he offers a tight-lipped smile.
He’s not getting off that easily. We’ve bonded during our time together, and if he knows something about Julian’s current state of mind, he’s going to tell me.
“Law,” I press, leveling him with my best don’t even try to cover for him expression.